Day One of Inquiry-Media Already Drops the Ball

So day one of the impeachment inquiry of Donald Trump is now in the books. Ambassador William Taylor and Under Secretary of State George Kent gave testimony for over five hours. Day two is tomorrow, with former Ukrainian Ambassador Maria Yovanovitch set to take the stand. I thought day one went well for the Democrats, and I planned on giving my overall opinion on some of what I observed–until I saw the following tweets:

Unfortunately, my mood changed quickly. Really NBC News and Jeff Mason of Reuters? Is this is the best you can do? A “lack of pizzazz,” “boring,” and “hearings begin without a bang?” There’s one person and one person for sure who’d like to thank you for that assessment–his name begins with D and ends in Trump.

It’s already happening, folks. Much like the election of 2016, where the mainstream media gave Donald Trump nearly a billion bucks of wall to wall coverage of his train-wreck campaign, they tell us that the two gentlemen who testified yesterday didn’t pass the excitement muster for the public. Nothing like giving the President a little mojo, right?

I’m wondering what they wanted these two lifelong public servants to do. Maybe a song and dance routine? Perhaps a little more charisma? I don’t get it. The yelling, fast-talking Congressman Jim Jordan is their kind of guy? Maybe that’s it. The Democrats need to yell and scream a bit more. That would surely do the trick for the American public. Come on, Adam Schiff, get on that soapbox and start cussing up a storm. Now that would be a ratings bonanza, wouldn’t it?

By the way, the “lack of pizzazz” quote comes from none other than Chuck Todd, the woefully undeserving host of Meet The Press. Todd is one of many in the media who like to equate Democrats and Republicans as cut from the same cloth. It’s the old “both sides do it” routine. I’ve never bought it before, and I’m not buying it now.

Democrats are not perfect. But please, the sycophancy coming from the other side of the aisle has no equal. One party is standing up for democracy; the other is standing up for Donald Trump. Instead of downplaying yesterday’s hearing, how about relaying the actual substance that came out of it?

So when I already see these kinds of quotes from folks who should know better, it plays into the hands of the Republican Party narrative. They’re already doing their level best to throw cold water on the outward crimes of this President. Why is the media helping them out?

So let’s be honest about what happened yesterday, ok? I observed two gentlemen with approximately 70 years of combined service to their country. They sat at the witness stand and answered questions thoughtfully and honestly. Neither of them has an ax to grind. And no, they are not “Never Trumpers,” as the President tried to suggest. Both of them forcefully defended their years of service under multiple presidential administrations.

And do you know what else happened? We learned something new from Ambassador Taylor. It appears that we have yet another confirmation that Trump was only concerned about the investigations into the Biden’s and the debunked conspiracy theory of Ukrainian involvement in the 2016 elections.

According to Taylor, one of his aides overheard Trump talking with EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland at a restaurant on an unsecured cell phone. Trump demanded to know where Ukraine was on the ‘investigations,’ and Sondland informed him that they were ready to move forward. If true, and the aid is expected to testify possibly next week, this would be first-hand knowledge of the President’s intentions toward Ukraine. More evidence. More corroboration.

Perhaps this new development isn’t the kind of “pizzazz” that Chuck Todd so clearly thought yesterday’s proceedings lacked. Or maybe Jeff Mason of Reuters didn’t get a chill up and down his spine. I don’t know. To me, this was big news. Too bad the media doesn’t seem to think so.

My friends, yesterday was day one. We’re very early in this process. More patriots are coming forward, and we’re going to hear from another one tomorrow. My advice to anyone paying attention is to please ignore the mainstream media. They do not have our best interests at heart. They want ratings and excitement, whereas I want truth and justice. I would think and hope that the American people want the same thing, at least those not glued to the President’s very large posterior, that is.

We’ll be learning a lot more in the coming days. And if there’s anything else we learned from yesterday’s hearing, it’s that our tax dollars are being spent wisely in that Ambassador Taylor and Under Secretary Kent have our backs. I couldn’t be more proud than knowing that we have people like this working throughout our federal government.

When Trump and his cronies try to tell you differently, think of Taylor, Kent, Yovanovitch, and others. Honor and service—two things the President of the United States could never understand—was on firm display yesterday. I wonder how many objects he threw at the TV?

30 comments

Thank you Nan! My blood pressure is already up this morning watching the testimony of Ambassador Yovanovitch. What an impressive lady she is. And to thing this president treated her the way he did? UGHHH…I just don’t know how he’s still president. I really don’t.

I sometimes think it’s because he essentially lets everyone else run the country while he spends his time tweeting and watching TV. Oh, and playing golf. The Repukes get to do all they’ve ever wanted and nine times out of ten, he gives them the stamp of approval. IOW, he’s nothing more than a figurehead. Of course he LOVES that role since it feeds his (overly) narcissistic nature.

That’s part of the reason they put up with him for sure. He gives them tax cuts, deregulation, and right-wing hack judges. Pretty much the whole Republican agenda. Who cares if he’s lawless, unqualified, and an embarrassment, right?

You know what I think, Jeff? I think the media has become so used to the circus surrounding Trump & his band of clowns, that professionalism such as that exhibited by Taylor and Kent bores them, seems lackluster to them. What the Sam Hell did they want? Another three-ring circus, with shouting, vulgarity, blonde bimbos marching to the beat of some unseen drummer, and clowns galore? For my money, I’ll be like Sergeant Friday of the old Dragnet t.v. show … “the facts, ma’am, just the facts”. I’ll take the honour and professionalism we say yesterday over the Machiavellian circus atmosphere that surrounds all things Trump any hour of any day. Like you, I was a bit put off by the media response, but I largely ignored it. As one headline I saw said, “What you took away from the hearing depended on where you watched it.” So true. Good post, my friend!

Naturally, Kellyanne Conway is usually the first one I think of when I think of blonde bimbos! In fact, I think that when I made her my ‘Idiot of the Week’ a few years back, I dubbed her “America’s #1 Bimbo”. Jim Jordan makes me seethe … and growl … grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Reblogged this on Filosofa's Word and commented:
Since I couldn’t bring myself to write about yesterday’s televised hearings, I will share with you Jeff’s take on the media’s response which was, to say the least, largely lackluster. Thanks, Jeff, for a great assessment … you are spot on!

They are quieter, more intellectual, not prone to screaming epithets in the street, so they go largely unnoticed, their voices drowned out by the trumpeters playing their loud, out-of-tune trumpets. Sigh.

Jeff, judging sober testimony from an enterainment shows poorly. I found Messers. Kent and Taylor credible, honorable, duty-bound and courageous. I am proud we have public servants like these gentlemen. I also think when Taylor answered a question saying what the president did was “wrong,” that actually resonated with a few Republicans.

Yet, a point made near the end should be highlighted. The aid was not released until after the whistleblower issue was made public and there waa bipartisan frustration with the president. Mr. Nunes and friends need to be reminded of this point and Taylor’s point that what the president did was wrong,

On a related issue, I left a message for a GOP senator and spoke to a staff member of my GOP congressman. Why? Because they outed the whistleblower. I shared my disappointment with them and said while I was not calling them a weasel, what they did was weasel-like behavior. Whistleblower laws exist for a reason, especially to protect them from vindictive bosses like the president. Keith

Jeff, another key point is the shadow diplomacy is part of a bigger issue. Other countries do not know who speaks for America. This creates chaos and lack of trust, two tenets of the Trump presidency. The president is often at odds with what his diplomats and state people are saying. Quite frankly, he is sometimes at odds with his own previous comments. Keith

Jeff, Nan, in my thirty three years of work with clients, the organization does its best to not besmirch the name of the person being let go. People are let go for downsizing, outsourcing, offshoring, change in direction, and performance reasons. When I have unfortunately been a part of explaining to others what happened, including clients, colleagues, and third parties, I was asled to and would do so naturally to not disparage anyone. The person has left our organization, we are sad to see him/ her go and we will do our best to serve your needs going forward. When asked, I would respond that I cannot share details, but can assure you this was done with seriousness of purpose. There have been times when I had to do this after fighting like hell to save someone’s job.

My major point is you do not disparage people because it is the decent thing to do and it is respectful of other relationships. This is an example why I go out of my way to refer to the US president as a person in a leadership position. By his recurring example, he should not be confused with being a leader. There is a huge difference. Mr. Pompeo has earned the same consideration by not fighting for his people. He has forgotten the military lesson that “the troops eat first.”

This … you do not disparage people because it is the decent thing to do … is something tRumpsky was most likely never taught. From what I’ve picked up here and there, his family was pretty cut-throat and cared little for how they were perceived so long as they accomplished their goals.

If you noticed Keith, at the hearing, the R’s tried to make it look as if the Ambassador really wasn’t treated too bad, in that she now has a nice teaching job at Georgetown. I loved Dem Rep. Quigley’s response though, equating R’s attempts at making this a Hallmark moment. These guys continue to amaze with their ignorance and blind allegiance to Trump.

Agreed Keith. And I admire your restraint in talking to your congressman’s staff member. I don’t know if I could be so restrained. But I think just by you taking the time to do it, makes a difference. You’re a moderate. Someone who’s left the party. I know there are more like you. They should be very concerned.

Jeff, Marie Yovanovitch is an impressive individual. I am proud she represents our country. The president showed today he can always lower the bar further. It is like the Limbo dance – how low can you go. I truly hope people can see the difference in dignified decorum and disgrace to the office. Keith

You raise a good point Keith. I feel her testimony today will move the needle a bit, at least from that standpoint. She IS a patriot. She IS the best of what our government has to offer. These people do not grow on trees. Her experience and expertise are invaluable to us. And the President participated in a smear campaign against her. Threw her out for no reason other than to further his own selfish political interests. If the American people can’t see how this is so bad for our country, I don’t know what will. That’s my hope at least. I felt the Dems struck the right tone. I saw some anger. I saw some emotion. And then, a spontaneous standing ovation for her from the people in that room. She deserved it.

The problem as I see it is the Trumpsters will believe his smears over her good reputation and works. Even if some of them watched the proceedings today (doubtful), they most likely sided with the Repukes and their idiotic comments and questions.

I watched it off and on via YouTube and was away from my desk for the standing ovation. Good for her … and for those who participated!!

Sounds more like Fox News pundits than supposed “real” journalists. Seriously? When I sat down yesterday morning, I wasn’t expecting to be entertained. This isn’t som Trump reality show. Mason and Todd should be ashamed of themselves!

As a Canadian, I did not watch any video until today, and I saw a serious Schiff trying to assert a particular position, being thrown into a murky pool of poisoned water by Nunes who used his time to say nothing at all. Why is this Inquiry even allowing a Republican to speak if he/she/it cannot speak to the matter in question. If they have nothing to present to this proceeding shut off their mikes, and strip away their time. They are as much a waste of airtime as is Trumplestilt’s skin. All that holds is offal odours.

You’ve framed it perfectly rawgod. They’re on there because those are the rules. Luckily, Schiff is cutting them off when they try some parliamentary type B.S. He’s not taking it. He’s all business. They, on the other hand are all about the audience of one person…and we know who that person is.